I am sorry Really are you are back tracking? Now it is only a certain section of town that riverside has impacted on and has the issue- so which is it??
You claimed riverside had done nothing for the town in replying to a post and mentioning the council didn't listen to mere mortals.
The council did listen to the views of so called mere mortals that the town was dying, the south end was even in worse shape.
It is not just about a precinct the other side of town, it is about regeneration and the bigger in general, wherever that may be
I will repeat again the aracadia groups and burtons/ DP were leaving anyway, with or without riverside.
Maybe it is because the princess st precinct is ugly and people don't want to shop there, maybe there is not much on offer there as lets face it it has been half empty well before riverside and some bigger names started the move to riverside, but let us not have that fact get in the way nor the impact of the closure of the main car park at that end of town which has now been remedied and we are seeing increased footfall and businesses with more interest as well.
Riverside will not solve all the towns issues and not every single business will see the benefit, as I clearly noted whilst highlighting the said area as an issue and may be it is case that side has more or less in part served it use, particularly when it comes to those eyesore builds in princess street etc. Plus businesses can move if they wanted, there are options.
But for one to say that riverside ( and throw in northwalls) is not having a more positive in town as a whole than the negative, then those people cannot be helped in their blinded views, especially as the former has not completed its construction on to the south high street.
As Carole rightly points out, the total impact is never immediate anyway and we have to be patient to see the full fruits- or even going the other way. The same shops on Birmingham new street that were empty a year ago were still empty at the weekend, even with the john Lewis store.
Stafford is doing fine, worse than some but far better than other areas with nothing happening and no investment, which today must be no easy task to attract.